Recipe for Seafood Wellington (Chef Axel's Original Recipe)

Ingredients

8 oz lobstertail meat
8 giant prawns
12 large scallops
4 cup quartered mushrooms
4 oz clarified butter
1 1/2 oz cognac
----NANTUA SAUCE----
4 oz clarified butter
1 medium onion
1 pint lobster stock
1/2 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon flour (heaping measure)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 dash tabasco
1 paprika; to taste
1 small lemon wedge
1 salt and pepper; to taste

Instructions

Bake four vol au vents (puff pastry shells). Either use homemade mille feuille or commercial puff pastry dough and follow instructions. Vol au vent should be oval shaped and about 12 x 8 cm (5" x 3") in size.

Sauce preparation: Saute finely-chopped onion in 4 ounces clarified butter, add tomato paste, flour, and paprika. Mix well, add stock, stirring until smooth. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add heavy cream, seasoning to taste. Add a dash of cayenne, tabasco and the lemon wedge (easy on the spices; Nantua sauce should not be spicy hot). Let simmer for five more minutes. Retrieve lemon. Blend sauce in high-spped blender until smooth and creamy.

Heat saute pan on medium to high heat. Drop in butter, then add in quick succession: first lobster meat, then prawns, sauteeing each until rare, then add mushrooms. Flame with cognac, add the scallops and saute for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the Nantua sauce, adding the bay shrimp, and bring to a short bowl. Fill in preheated vol au vents and serve with steamed vegetables.